Club career

Archie Thompson began his career as a teenager in Bathurst, breaking into the senior squad in 1995. At the close of the 1996 season, he secured a move to the National Soccer League, signining with the Gippsland Falcons midway through the 1996-97 season. His exceptional pace and skill on the ball were instantly recognisable in a mediocre team, and it wasn't long before he was snapped up by Carlton, becoming a key goalscorer in an attack-minded squad. The demise of Carlton saw a return to Sydney, where he spent the remainder of the 2000-01 season with Marconi, before ultimately signing with Belgium's Lierse SK. A fan favourite, Thompson scored 9 goals in his first season with the Belgian First Division club before injury curtailed his progress. In his fourth season in Belgium, he was the club's leading scorer, with 14 goals in 29 league appearances.

Despite his strong form, he was lured back home to play for in 2005 (the inaugural A-League season), scoring the team's first ever regular season goal. With the A-League season finishing in March and a four month gap between then and Australia's...Read More